Cheick Kongo Doesn’t Want To Be A “Gatekeeper” In UFC

Cheick Kongo didn’t say no to the UFC’s request for him to fight Shawn Jordan at UFC 149: Faber vs. Barao. Originally, Kongo was slated for a match with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, but Nogueira was forced out.

Kongo, however, remained a loyal fighter and agreed to take on Jordan this Saturday night from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Some have called Kongo a gatekeeper in the UFC’s heavyweight division, but he’s not a fan of that word.

“I’m not a gatekeeper, I’m just a fighter who trains his best,” said Kongo, during the pre-fight press conference Thursday. “Sometimes I make mistakes. I was so proud to say yes and do the right thing. I will do my best (vs. Jordan).”

Kongo recently had his four-fight unbeaten streak snapped by a TKO loss to Mark Hunt. He is 17-7-2 in his MMA career, including wins over Pat Barry and Mirko CroCop.

Jordan (13-3) won his UFC debut earlier this year over Oli Thompson. He is 4-1 in his last five fights overall.